joel's pub

"I know the Pope is infallible, but that doesn't mean he can't be wrong."
~Stephen Colbert

13 July 2005

beer of the week...
i've really been slacking in my beer tasting lately. but i thought i'd return to one of my standbys, probably my ultimate "desert island" beer -- Duvel. it's yet another masterful belgian beer that packs a lot of flavor. the brewers obviously use quite a bit of belgian candi sugar to get the beer's characteristic sweetness. they also use pilsner malt for a beautiful golden color and saaz hops (which are also typical of czech pilseners) for bittering. there's this wonderfully addictive sweetness to this beer, though, that completely masks the 8.7 ABV. be careful. duvel means "devil" in flemish, and this beer has a reputation for luring you in with its easy-drinking flavor and then walloping you with alcohol.